Indonesia pulls 1,300 troops out of Aceh

Two battalions from the army's Kostrad strategic reserve, about 1,300 men, left on board a navy ship from Krueng Geukueh port in North Aceh early Monday, military deputy spokesman Ahmad Yani Basuki said.

"The pull out is part of our commitment to the peace agreement," Basuki said, declining to give details on how many troops were left in the resource-rich province at the northern tip of Sumatra island.

Indonesia and rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a historic peace pact in Helsinki last Monday, agreeing to end hostilities after a 29-year conflict, which has left around 15,000 dead, mostly civilians.

Under the accord, GAM dropped its long-held demand for independence for a form of local self-government and agreed to disarm and demobilise its 3,000 fighters.